Housing: Construction

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that the planning process includes a requirement for new housing development to have fibre optic cabling installed to facilitate high speed broadband.

Nicholas Boles: We consider that this issue is best addressed in the context of our Review to rationalise the framework of Building Regulations, standards and guidance. This was launched last October and is designed to remove unnecessary cost and complexity from the house-building process. An external Challenge Panel is contributing to the Review, and as part of its work has been asked to consider whether there is any need to add broadband connectivity into the Building Regulations. The terms of reference for the Review are available in this link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/independent-panel-to-help-government-cut-housebuilding-red-tape-and-boost-growth

Hepatic Angiosarcoma

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2013, Official Report, column 324W, on hepatic angiosarcoma, if he will consider introducing assessments for people suffering from hepatic angiosarcoma through an expedited paper process instead of a physical assessment via Atos medical assessors.

Mark Hoban: The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) on which diseases and related occupations should be included ('prescribed') in the list of diseases for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) can be paid. This also includes recommendations on how claims for specific prescribed diseases should be treated for the purposes of claiming IIDB.
	Angiosarcoma of the liver is one of the conditions covered by the prescribed disease C24. As with any other prescribed disease, careful consideration to any advice the IIAC give about the disease, and whether there should be any change to the way the claims are treated under the Industrial Injuries Scheme.
	The IIAC has not made any recommendations to change the way claims for this disease are managed.

Welfare State: Reform

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of 7 January 2013, Official Report, column 124W, on local government finance, if he will place a copy of any documents describing the agreed process for assessing new administrative burdens on local authorities arising from welfare reforms in the Library.

Steve Webb: In assessing the new administrative burdens on local authorities arising from welfare reforms, the Department for Work and Pensions adheres to the “New Burdens Doctrine—Guidance for government departments” document, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	The document provides a step-by-step guide to the new burdens doctrine, including the definition of new burdens, the responsibility on departments for handling them, and the process which should be followed in all cases. It is publicly available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/5960/1926282.pdf